In the deep trenches of winter, especially for us Minnesota folks, it’s nice to be able to escape the cold to chase the sun and feel the kiss of warm air on your cheeks. When Encore Resort at Reunion reached out to us to see if we wanted to pack our bags for a visit to their new resort we thought they were kidding. I think my first response was, “is this a joke?” followed by a BIG Minnesota bear hug thanking the crew for thinking of us. Let’s just say we booked the trip the very next day!
We kept this trip secret from the girls until a few days before we left. We knew sharing this would be something they would surely enjoy and be super excited about. And we were right. I think Kaia’s first words were, “can we go swimming?”. We left Minnesota early morning and arrived in sunny Florida early afternoon with more than enough time to explore the grounds of the resort and soak up the sunshine. Each vacation home at Encore Resort has it’s very own pool and hot tub. Our girls LOVE the water so having a pool + hot tub just steps away was really nice. We spent the first day getting comfortable in what felt like a true home away from home. The accommodations at the resort were amazing, making it hard for this family of ‘homebodies’ to even want to leave resort to explore other things–there was/is so much fun to be had on the grounds!
We ventured to Disney World, the land of magic and wonder, the next day. It had been YEARS since my last visit to Disney World–dating all the way back to 1991 (I can’t even believe it) and this was Aaron’s first time to Disney World. So we were pretty excited to show the girls Disney and all the magical things that happen at Magic Kingdom. BUT would you believe me if I told you that they were over it within a few hours asking to go back to the resort?! Seriously, I kid you not. This crew of girls was ready after three hours of being there, pulling on our legs pleading, asking “can we go back to the resort now?” WHAT??!!!!! Aaron and I looked at each other as if something was wrong. “Wait… are we doing this right?” . . . . “are you girls feeling okay?” “what’s wrong? WE ARE AT MAGIC KINGDOM!!!” . I mean don’t take this totally wrong by me saying this, they had a blast and loved being part of all the fun and magical things they saw and experienced, but they really LOVED being home at the resort too–where they could swim and be free to run about.
Our favorite rides at Magic Kingdom were the Tea Cups and It’s a Small World. There is so much to see on the little trip around the world. The design and artwork and details poured into that ride alone is simply breathtaking. If you ever find yourself at Magic Kingdom please do yourself a favor go on that ride. It was truly something else. Also the spectacular parades at Magic Kingdom are so amazing. I remember it as a child visiting but to see it as an now adult and through the lens of my own children, it’s mind blowing. I appreciate all the work and talent and just everything that goes into throwing the most magical parade ever.
The remaining part of the trip we spent at the resort soaking up all that beautiful glorious warm sunshine and spending time in the water. The home we stayed in was comfortable for large families. Had it worked out for some of Aaron or my family to join us, it could have accommodated many. This king size bed though… gahhh!! it was such a dream to sleep on and I may have begged Aaron if we could get a large bed like this for home… if only we had the space!
Our girls were sun kissed from head to toe, despite the layers and layers of sunscreen applied but it didn’t stop them from having fun. The resort has it’s own water park, both for big and little kiddos. It’s the perfect balance actually and I love that they have a walk-in pool + wading area the real little ones.
The food and drinks at the resort were delicious. In fact, we had a chief come over to cook for us one evening which was nice to not have to wrestle the girls at a restaurant after a long day at the park.
those pink cheeks! ^^
As I wrap up this trip, I am thinking about this famous quote by Kim John Payne, the author of Simplicity Parenting.
“In the tapestry of childhood, what stands out is not the splashy, blow-out trip to Disneyland but the common threads that run throughout and repeat: the family dinners, nature walks, reading together at bedtime, and Saturday morning pancakes.”
We took our three daughters to most magical place on earth, yet, what stands most to our girls is the time they spent in the water, the meal we had after a long day, the mattresses we took from another room to make one giant bed on the floor so the whole family could sleep comfortably in one room, evening walks around the grounds foraging flowers along the way, and the after dinner dips in the hot tub. Those are the things my girls walked away with from this trip. Those are the things that made them smile most.
and well, that makes my heart very happy.